What it Means When Scientists Disagree
Zollman at Scientific American
Center faculty member Kevin Zollman published an opinion piece at Scientific American.
Cities as Centers for Deliberative Democracy
Cavalier at Public Agenda
Center faculty member Robert Cavalier weighed in at Public Agenda about the growing use of deliberative fora in cities across America.
Developing the Basic Structure Model of Research Ethics
Wenner to be Caroline Miles Scholar at Oxford
Associate Director Danielle Wenner will spend February, 2019 as a Caroline Miles Visiting Scholar at the Ethox Centre at Oxford University.
Reconstructing a Crime Scene
Researchers use Cellphone Videos, Autopsy Reports, and Surveillance Footage
Jay Aronson contributed to the work of SITU Research to help reconstruct a scene where 4 police officers and 48 civilians were killed in Kiev. Read about it in the NYTimes.
The Limits of Relational Autonomy
Danielle Wenner at SueFest
Center Associate Director Danielle Wenner spoke at a workshop honoring the works of feminist philosopher and bioethicist Susan Sherwin.
Exploitation, Agency, and Domination in Transnational Surrogacy
Wenner and Gray speak at Canadian Bioethics Society
Associate Director Danielle Wenner and co-author Derrick Gray spoke at the Canadian Bioethics Society about the ethics of transnational surrogacy contracts.
AI Can Be Used for Good or for Ill
David Danks at AI For Good
Center faculty member David Danks reminds the audience at AI For Good that "AI might be for good, might be for ill, might be for profit, which could be good or ill."
Watch Video
Experts Discuss Ethical, Social and Policy Issues of Artificial Intelligence
First Carnegie Mellon University - K&L Gates Conference on Ethics and AI
Center faculty member David Danks served as co-chair for the first Carnegie Mellon University - K&L Gates Conference on Ethics and AI April 9-10. The conference, sponsored by the K&L Gates Endowment for Ethics and Computational Technologies, focused on issues surrounding the equity of access and impact, trust in human-machine relationships, policy and regulation of technological advances, and the potential for technology to empower people.
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Cancer centers sell out science when they advertise clinical trials as treatment
London co-authors piece in JAMA Oncology
Center Director Alex London co-authored an article on advertising clinical trials, arguing that such messaging is not only misleading but also undermines the very norms of science that clinical trials — and cancer centers themselves — are supposed to advance.
From Automation to Autonomy and the Ubiquity of Moral Decision Making
Alex London at the Robotics Institute
Center Director Alex London gave a talk at the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University.
Kevin Zollman Receives Mellon Foundation New Directions Fellowship
Fellowship designed to enable mid-career scholars to pursue systematic training in areas outside of their specializations
Center faculty member Kevin Zollman received an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation New Directions Fellowship. The two-year, $190K award will enable Zollman, a philosopher and game theory expert, to study behavioral and complexity economics. Roughly one dozen New Direction Fellowships are awarded each year.
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Driverless Cars and 5 Ethical Questions
Is the car making the choice or are we?
Center faculty member David Danks talked with the Australian Broadcasting Company about trust and a moral code when it comes to driverless vehicles.
Ethics and AI Systems
Alex London at the Pittsburgh Humanities Festival
Center Director Alex London gave a talk about the Ethics and AI systems at the Pittsburgh Humanities Festival.
The ethics of AI: Robots will rise, but will they rule us all?
David Danks talks to GeekWire
Center faculty member David Danks talked to GeekWire about the Ethics of AI and how the robotic future will affect the human species.
Kevin Zollman Talks Game Theory with BigThink.com
Video Series Tackles Strategies and Tactics of Game Theory
Center Faculty member Kevin Zollman is featured in this series of videos from BigThink.com talking about game theory and how it applies to everyday life. Videos include How game theory solves tough negotiations, How to outfox someone who's smarter than you, and Take it or leave it: How to control a negotiation like a game theorist.
Just How Divided Are Americans Since Trump's Election?
Robert Cavalier talks to History.com
Center Faculty member and Director of the Program for Deliberative Democracy Robert Cavalier weighed in on this History Channel look at the "state of our disunion."
How to End International Tax Competition
Danielle Wenner and Kevin Zollman in NYT Opinion
Center Associate Director Danielle Wenner and Center faculty member Kevin Zollman wrote an op-ed for the New York Times on the GOP tax plan, game theory and international tax competition.
GovTrack Teams with Program for Deliberative Democracy
Site Adopts Citizen Input Feature
GovTrack, a nationally recognized civics site that explains the daily activities of the United States Congress, has teamed up with Carnegie Mellon University’s Program for Deliberative Democracy to develop and implement an enhanced voter-input feature. The Program for Deliberative Democracy is lead by Center faculty member Robert Cavalier, teaching professor, emeritus.
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Alex John London Endowed Chair Celebrated
Reception held for Clara L. West Professor of Ethics and Philosophy
Center Director Alex John London was named the Clara L. West Professor of Ethics and Philosophy in July, and his endowed chair was celebrated on October 24. Carnegie Mellon Interim President Farnam Jahanian, Dietrich Dean Richard Scheines, and Department Head David Danks gave remarks about Professor London's achievements at a reception with colleagues, family and friends. See photos from the event.
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Danielle Wenner at ASBH
Social Value Requirement in Biomedical Research
Center Associate Director Danielle Wenner presented at the annual American Society for Bioethics and Humanities conference on the social value requirement in biomedical research.
"Frankenstein"'s 200th Anniversary Inspires Discussions on Technology, AI
David Danks on Panel
Center faculty member David Danks participated in a panel discussion titled "Creation and Consequence" where scholars from around Carnegie Mellon University discussed their roles as academics studying technological developments, as well as opportunities to influence how artificial intelligence is developed ethically.
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David Danks at IEEE TechEthics Conference
Will Neuroscience Research Lead to Conscious AI?
Center faculty member David Danks spoke at the IEEE TechEthics Conference in Washington D.C. on October 13. There was a series of panels at the conference addressing significant and provocative questions related to artificial intelligence, autonomous transportation, neuroscience and ethics education. Danks participated in the session, "Will Neuroscience Research Lead to Conscious AI?"
Lisa Parker Gave Lectures at Research Ethics Conference
Fogarty International Center (FIC) Training Program in Research Ethics in China
CEP affiliate member Lisa Parker traveled in China as part of a Fogarty International Center (FIC) Training Program in Research Ethics and provided lectures as part of an FIC-supported research ethics conference in Dalian, as well as at Dalian Medical University and Shanghai Mental Health Center, addressing ethical guidance for conducting psychiatric research and public health ethics. The program took place October 11-16.
Controversial AI ‘Gaydar’ Study Spawns Backlash, Ethical Debate
Center Director Alex John London talks Ethics with NBC News
CEP Director Alex John London weighs in on ethical implications of new study.
Kevin Zollman Gave Talk at Carnegie Science Center
21+ Night had "Gaming" Theme
CEP faculty member Kevin Zollman gave a talk on how game theory applies to everyday life, and will discuss his book The Game Theorist's Guide to Parenting at the Carnegie Science Center's Gaming 21+ Night, September 8.
The Macro and the Micro of Parenting
Kevin Zollman Featured on a16z Podcast
CEP faculty member Kevin Zollman weighed in on the a16z podcast about how economics and game theory can apply to parenting.
Pittsburgh Summer Program
Lisa Parker Seminar at the University of Pittsburgh
CEP affiliate faculty member Lisa Parker taught a seminar on the ethics of genetic enhancement for the Center for Philosophy of Science’s Pittsburgh Summer Program 1: A Summer Program in Philosophy of Science for Underrepresented Groups, July 10 to July 14, 2017.
Why, Robot? Understanding AI ethics
Maybe we're headed for a robo-pocalpse, but let's deal with these other problems first, eh?
Center Director Alex London talked to the Register about AI ethics, machines and intent.
Alex John London Receives Clara L. West Professorship in Ethics and Philosophy
Center Director Recognized with Chair
Alex John London has been appointed the Clara L. West Professor of Ethics and Philosophy. A prominent ethicist who is frequently called upon to address critical problems nationally and internationally, London researches foundational ethical issues in human-subjects research, issues of social justice, the ethics of autonomous technologies and methodological questions in theoretical and applied ethics.
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Danielle Wenner Gave Bioethics Grand Rounds at Cleveland Clinic
"Standards of Treatment and Prevention in International Clincal Research"
Center Associate Director Danielle Wenner gave a Bioethics Grand Rounds at the Cleveland Clinic on "Standards of Treatment and Prevention in International Clinical Research."
Yael Schenker receives funding award
Research on Quality of Life in Advanced Stages of Illness
Affiliate faculty member Yael Schenker has received an award from the Palliative Care Research Cooperative to study "Associations between Polypharmacy, Symptom Burden, and Quality of Life in Patients with Advanced, Life-Limiting Illness".
Danielle Wenner to Explore Ethics and Exploitation in Brocher Residency
Wenner has been selected to participate in the Brocher Summer Residency Program in Geneva, Switzerland
Is it ethical to "rent out" a disadvantaged woman’s womb? What can scientists do to ensure the autonomy of clinical research subjects? These are just a couple of the questions on the mind of Carnegie Mellon University’s Danielle Wenner. Wenner has been selected to participate in the Brocher Summer Residency Program in Geneva, Switzerland, where she will spend July 2018 working on a project titled "Non-Domination and the Limits of Relational Autonomy."
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The Ethics of Time Travel
"Traveling Through Time: Exploring the Ethical Boundaries of Future Technology"
Professor Mara Harrell's Spring Carnival talk, "Traveling Through Time: Exploring the Ethical Boundaries of Future Technology," was part of CMUThink, an Alumni Association program designed to provide continued intellectual engagement for CMU's alumni community through regional events, webinars and discussions.
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Robert Cavalier May Be Retiring, But He's Not Slowing Down
Philosophy Professor Brought Deliberative Democracy to CMU, Pittsburgh and Beyond
Carnegie Mellon University’s Robert Cavalier may be retiring this June, but he doesn’t plan on slowing down. Instead, he will devote his time as teaching professor, emeritus to several projects that have been in the works for years.
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Ethics in Reconstructive Transplantation
First International Workshop
Affiliate faculty member and Director of the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Bioethics and Health Law Lisa Parker spoke at the First International Workshop on Bioethical Challenges in Reconstructive Transplantation at the Brocher Foundation in Geneva.
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David Danks Wins 2017 Andrew Carnegie Fellowship
Danks’ Project Will Explore Trust and Autonomous Technologies
Carnegie Corporation of New York has named Carnegie Mellon University’s David Danks a 2017 Andrew Carnegie Fellow. The 35 selected fellows will receive a total of $7 million in funding, or $200,000 each, making it the most generous stipend for humanities and social sciences research available.
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Precision Medicine
Parker at PAGC
Lisa Parker spoke at the Pennsylvania Association of Genetic Counselors annual spring meeting about "Precision Medicine's Promise(s) and Problems: Ethics and Public Perception".
Don’t return to the democratic dark ages
Keep Ranked Voting
Kevin Zollman wrote an Op-Ed for the Pioneer Press in St. Paul, Minn., about ranked voting.
Don’t Turn It Off
Guest Post by Danielle Wenner
Danielle Wenner wrote a guest blog post for the Daily Nous.
National Academies Committee Outlines Steps To Combat Disease Epidemics
Prepared by the Committee on Clinical Trials During the 2014-15 Ebola Outbreak
Using key lessons learned from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine has outlined how to improve the speed and effectiveness of clinical trial research while an epidemic is occurring.
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Self-driving, but not self-regulating
Self-driving cars need more oversight
Alex John London and David Danks wrote a story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on regulation of self-driving vehicles.
Researcher Award
Yael Schenker recognized by Society of General Internal Medicine
Affiliate faculty member Yael Schenker received the Society of General Internal Medicine's Outstanding Junior Investigator of the Year Award, which recognizes a member for career achievement in research.
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Return of Genetic Research Results
Ethical Considerations in NIH All of Us Program
Affiliate faculty member Lisa Parker spoke on the Ethical Considerations panel at the All of Us Return of Genetic Results Workshop in Bethesda.
Full Workshop Program
Alexander Heffner
Host of Open Mind on PBS
The Center for Ethics and Policy hosted Alexander Heffner, host of The Open Mind on PBS, for a talk on The Future of Civil Discourse.
Regulating Autonomous Systems
Danks & London Paper in IEEE
CEP Faculty David Danks and Alex London published a paper on ethics and regulation of autonomous systems that has been featured in the New Scientist and Citylab.
Full Publication
Pittsburgh Models Deliberative Democracy
CEP's PDD Partners with City
Through deliberative democracy, ordinary citizens are empowered to play an active role in policy decisions. With help from CEP’s Program for Deliberative Democracy (PDD), the City of Pittsburgh is becoming a national model for this community-driven approach to addressing important issues.
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Inaugural CEP Workshop
Exploitation & Coercion
The Center for Ethics and Policy hosted its inaugural workshop on the topics of Exploitation and Coercion. In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the publication of Alan Wertheimer's seminal work Exploitation, the CEP brought together experts from around the world for two days of thinking and talking about the theoretical underpinnigs of exploitation and coercion and implications for important current topics in applied ethics and policy. The Center was pleased to welcome Richard Arneson as its keynote speaker.
Conference Website
Global Pharmaceuticals
Sources of Ethical Responsibility
CEP Director Alex London spoke at the Ethical Issues in Marketing Pharmaceuticals in Emerging Health Systems Conference at Seton Hall Law School, in a talk titled, "Sources of Ethical Responsibility for the Global Pharmaceutical Industry".
University Level Distinction
Robert Arnold Receives New Honor
CEP Faculty Member and Chair of Patient Care in the Department of Medicine at University of Pittsburgh was one of 13 Pitt faculty members honored with a Distinguished University Chair.
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New Endowed Chair
L.L. Thurstone Professor of Philosophy and Psychology
CMU Philosophy Department Head and CEP Faculty David Danks was named the L.L. Thurstone Professor of Philosophy and Psychology.
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Who Owns the Dead?
New Perspective on 9/11 Recovery Process
In the new book Who Owns the Dead? The Science and Politics of Death at Ground Zero, CEP's Jay Aronson details the cultural and political reasons behind why the promise was made to spare no expense in trying to identify every victim and human body part larger than a thumbnail, and why living up to the task has been so challenging.
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Local Medical Advertising
Concerns about Impacts on Patients
CEP Faculty members Yael Schenker and Alex London contribute their thoughts on the recent trend of local health systems using actual patients in emotional television ads.
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Whose Lives Should be Saved?
Deliberative Fora in Social Decision-Making
Recent research on the use of deliberative fora to inform resource allocation during a public health emergency was spotlighted in the NYTimes. CEP members Robert Cavalier and Alex London were among the researchers conducting fora around this question in several neighborhoods in Baltimore.
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To Serve and Protect
Addressing Police Violence
CEP Faculty Jay Kadane weighed in on the recent spate of police killings in the US over at the Huffington Post.
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Standards of Prevention in HIV Research
2016 Society for Applied Philosophy
CEP Faculty Danielle Wenner presented joint work with Director Alex John London at this year's Society for Applied Philosophy conference in Belfast. Their current work looks at how determinations are made about the appropriate standard of prevention in prevention research.
SAP
Rebellion, Resistance, Revolution
2016 Association for Social & Political Philosophy
CEP Associate Director Danielle Wenner presented joint work with Derrick Gray (CMU Philosophy Visiting Scholar) at the 2016 ASPP Conference. This year's conference theme was "Rebellion, Resistance, Revolution".
ASPP
2016 Brocher Summer Academy
Population-Level Bioethics
Center faculty Danielle Wenner was an invited speaker at the 2016 Brocher Summer Academy in Population-Level Bioethics. This year's summer academy focused on the Ethical Design of Randomized Trials in Development Economics and Health Systems Research.
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Keynote Speaker
2016 Formal Epistemology Workshop
Center faculty member Kevin Zollman was a Keynote Speaker at the 2016 Formal Epistemology Workshop hosted by the University of Groningen.
Conference Website
Democracy in Action
What Does Direct Deliberative Democracy Look Like?
Center faculty member and director of CMU's Program for Deliberative Democracy Robert Cavalier shared his thoughts on what direct deliberative democracy looks like in Pennsylvania.
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Game Theory & Parenting
Interview on BYU Radio
Associate Professor Kevin Zollman was interviewed by BYU radio this week about his new book, The Game Theorist's Guide to Parenting.
Listen Here
Uppsala Forum
Translational Medicine and Accelerated Access
Professor Alex London spoke at the Uppsala Forum on Pharmacovigilance about translational medicine and the implications of accelerated access.
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Brazil Zika Risk
Experts Warn of Zika at 2016 Summer Olympics
Center Director Alex John London is one of 150 experts who say that the 2016 Summer Olympics should be moved or postponed due to Zika in a letter to thw WHO.
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Wimmer Faculty Fellow
Funding for "Game Theory Through Games"
Assistant Professor Adam Bjorndahl was selected as a Wimmer Faculty Fellow at the Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence and Educational Innovation. Dr. Bjorndahl was awarded the fellowship for his proposal "Game Theory Through Games", which will enhance his Game Theory course with new interactive activities.
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Teaching Innovation Award
Argument Diagramming as Pedagogical Tool
Dr. Mara Harrell was honored with a Teaching Innovation Award for her development and implementation of argument diagrammming as a central tool in teaching philosophy.
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Philosophy, Politics, and Law
Ethics in International Affairs
CEP Associate Director Danielle Wenner spoke at the Binghamton Conference on Ethical Issues in International Affairs, about the ethics of "Boycotting Labor Injustice".
View Program
APA Research Spotlight
Exploitation in International Research
Assistant Professor Danielle Wenner was interviewed by the American Philosophical Association's blog for their Early Career Research Spotlight series. The interview includes details about her work on exploitation and the ethics of international research, the importance of doing philosophy with practical applications, and teaching global ethics to Carnegie Mellon undergrads.
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